70 THE POLAll BEAU. 



when it is caught, both its stomach and intestines are found 

 to be empty." — History of Animals {Taylor s Translation). 

 Modern observers have added little of importance to the pre- 

 ceding brief summary of the habits of the bear. The same 

 uncertainty still prevails as to the duration, or even the fact, 

 of its torpidity. Nay, almost the very words of the Greek 

 philosopher respecting the pregnant European bear have 

 been applied to the black bear of America ; and with every 

 appearance of being an original observation. "The bears 

 are very common in this province (North Carolina), though 

 not quite so large as in more northerly climates, such as 

 Greenland and Russia. Their flesh is good and nourishing, 

 not inferior to the best pork in taste, and is betwixt beef 

 and pork. The young cubs are amost delicious dish, as mostof 



the planters testify These beasts feed upon all manner 



of wild fruits, and are great devourers of every sort of fish, 

 especially herrings, which they catch at the brook's side in 

 the months of March and April. The flesh of those bears that 

 feed upon them, is not good at that season, and eats filthily ; 

 neither are they good when they feed upon green berries. 

 They are great devourers of swine that they take in the 

 woods, especially when they are hungry and can get no other 

 food, which is the only flesh meat they are fond of. They 

 sometimes get into the Indian corn-fields or maize, where they 

 generally spoil ten times more than they eat ; they are so 

 fond of the potatoes of this country, that they seldom fail to 

 destroy and root out all clean, whenever they chance to come 



where they are Notwithstanding they seem to be such a 



clumsy creature, yet they will nimbly climb trees when pur- 

 sued by hunters and dogs, where they generally remain till 

 shot; and it is strange to see with what agility they will go 

 up and down the trees, and in coming down they always run 

 tail foremost. They are likewise very dexterous and expert 

 in fishing, catching vast quantities of several sorts of fish as 

 they run up the narrow creeks and shallow waters to spawn. 

 There you shall see these beasts sit and take up fish as fast 

 as it is possible for them to dip their paws into the water. 

 There is one thing very strange and remarkable of this 

 creature, which is, that no man, either Christian or Indian, 

 ever killed a she-bear with young. It is most certain that 

 they hide themselves in the most secret places, otherwise 

 the Indians, who constantly hunt in the woods and kill thou- 

 sands of he-ones, would at some time or other have found 

 them." — BricknelVs Natural History of North Carolina, 

 p. 110. 



The obscurity which so long prevailed respecting the gesta- 



